Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-17
CHARLESTON'S CHAT.
The Police MIDDLE Temporarily Set
tIed-The Question of Salvage.

The Police MIDDLE temporarily ocI-
tIed-The Question of Salvage.
CHARLESTON, FEB. l6.-The blue coat
question has been temporarily settled, as
reshadowed in this correspondence, by
the re-establishment of the Upper ward
station and the restoration to rank OF
Lieuts. Fordham (colored) }, and SigiVald,
which seems 10 satisfy everybody. The
city, however. finds itself confronted with
another difficulty. At the election
of four health physicians day
or two ago, two Of the
successful candidates were members of
the household staff OF the city hospital.
The hospital physicians are elected by
! the faculty of the Medical College yearly
| from the graduates of that year. The
position is desirable one for graduate
| of medicine, as il gives him go d home,
good practice, and pays him something
besides. He is, however, bound to serve
for one year. The position of health
| physician is created by Council and
is likewise good one for a young prac-
tltioner. The salary is about 81, 200 per
annum, with an additional allowance OF
$500 for the keep OF horse and buggy. The
city elects four of these annually, each
one OF whom is assigned to a certain dis
trict. They are expected to attend to the
poor OF the city.
AS has been said. two of the recently
elected city physicians are members OF
the house staff of the hospital. The Medi-
cal College faculty have refused TO re-
lease them, and hence the hitch. Their
term of service at the hospital does not
expire until April next The situation is
awkward.
QUESTION OF SALVAGE.
The commercial community is Just at
present divided on the subject of salvage
on an issue brought on by the fire on the
Clyde line steamship Cherokee. The facts
ofthe case are briefly as follows The Cher
okee took fire just as she left her pier in
this city and blew her whistle for assist
ance. The tug boats, always on the lookout
| for such cases, focked to her assistance
Only one, however. the Monarch, owned
| by Tom Young, wealthy steVedore and
wharf owner, got her hose on the Chero-
| kee. The Captain said he did it at the
| request of the Captain of the Cherokee.
The Cherokee herself had three streams
on the fire and had flooded the compart-
ment with steam. The vessel, however,
returned to her pier, the fire department
WAS summoned, the services of the tug
dispensed with and the compartment
finally filed with water, which eXtln-
euished the fire. Then the trouble began.
Mayor COurtenay, who is the agent of the
CIYue Iln0 mere, says ne asked tne owner
OF the Monarch for a bill for his services
and offered to give bond to cover the
amount. This Mr.. Young refused to give
according to the Mayors statement.
COMPARED TO PIRACY.
The next day the Cherokee was libeled,
and Mayor COurtenay was forced to give
bond for $4,000, which he regards as
piracy. Those who espoused the Mayors
side Of the controversy say that the tug
boat business, as conducted here, is little
less than piracy. If cotton ship
is discovered to have fire in her
hold they Immediately crowd around
her like a flock of vultures around a car
cass, Notwithstanding the fact that the
fire department is abundantly able to
control the fire, and if they succeed in
getting their hose on the deck of the ves-
sci for one second, forthwith proceed to
libel the vessel, and in this way get up a
bad reputation for the port. Snip owners,
they say, will not send their vessels to a
port where sucn piratical practices are
allowed.
The other side say that the fleet of tug
boats is a valuable adjunct to the port.
Their presence assures absolute safety
against fire and protection to the ship
ping. The fight is now gong on in the
United States Court as well as in the
newspapers.